Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Dry Eye Syndrome in Elderly Patients with Age-Related Cataract

This scientific review synthesizes current data from national and international literature on epidemiological rates, shared risk factors, and key pathogenic features of the clinical course of dry eye syndrome in geriatric patients with age-related cataracts. The complex pathogenic relationship between involutional changes in the tissue structures of the anterior segment of the eye, precorneal tear film stability, and the progression of cataractous lens opacity is examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the phenomenon of clinical-anatomical dissonance—the hidden course of xerosis occurring against the backdrop of decreased corneal sensitivity in the elderly population. Based on the literature analysis, the paper establishes the high medico-social importance of preventive interdisciplinary screening and targeted medical optimization of the ocular surface status at the preoperative stage to prevent postoperative refractive errors and iatrogenic complications.